In part one of this blog post, I explored the significance and impact of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030—not only as a national plan but as a powerful act of coming to voice, both individually and collectively, to reshape and reclaim the narratives of Saudi society. This story of transformation is beautifully embodied and documented in the work of contemporary Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan.
While AlDowayan’s artwork offers a profound lens to explore identity, memory, and transformation in Saudi Arabia, it also invites a broader conversation. Art, design, and culture are not merely reflections of societal change—they are active tools in shaping how we envision and engage with futures.
In this blog post, I examine how Saudi Arabia’s growing investments in creative industries foster futures literacy and expand public engagement in futures thinking. These efforts extend beyond economic diversification to serve as tools for reconnecting with ancestral wisdom, challenging dominant narratives, and empowering individuals to imagine their own futures.
By exploring these dynamics, we can see how creativity becomes an equalizer, bridging the gap between technocratic visions and lived human experiences while broadening the reach of futures thinking across communities in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Futures Thinking: A Relational Approach
Futures work, as futurist Stuart Candy notes, is inherently relational: “It’s about not just when, but also who, and where you are.” Candy likens it to dancing—a metaphor that highlights how futures thinking is not a rigid checklist but an evolving, collaborative journey shaped by context, relationships, and shared experiences.
Through my professional and academic journey across various disciplines and communities, I’ve come to appreciate the richness and adaptability of futures thinking. It’s deeply contextual, evolving to reflect the unique cultural, social, and historical circumstances in which it is practiced.
As Phil Balagtas describes in Making Futures Work, futuring is a mental model that has guided human survival for centuries. Wendy Schultz’s “five waves of futures” further illustrates how futures thinking, though universal in its essence, manifests differently across cultures, languages, and purposes. This variability underscores an important idea: invisibility doesn’t equate to absence. Just as Manal AlDowayan’s work discovers hidden narratives in her artwork, a relational futures approach discovered diverse forms that deserve recognition, especially in contexts such as Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Futures Between Culture and Profession
During the process of mapping futures thinking activity in the Kingdom, several challenges arose, including issues of access, language barriers, and differences in framing. Despite these obstacles, the following examples highlight a small but growing interest in futures thinking within Saudi Arabia:
Qassim University: Initiatives related to futures thinking within academic programs and research efforts.
Islamic University of Madinah: Contributions to futures discourse through religious and philosophical perspectives.
Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University: Active involvement in futures-oriented projects, blending academic research with practical applications.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology: Fostering innovation and collaboration in areas such as technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development through dynamic partnerships.
These examples are not exhaustive but provide a glimpse into the dynamic and rapidly expanding interest in futures thinking across the country.
Although futures studies is still emerging as a profession in Saudi Arabia, art, culture, and design have already established themselves through institutionalized support and commercial viability. These creative sectors can serve as bridges, connecting the past to the future and aligning closely with the Kingdom’s transformative Vision 2030.
Culturally Informed Futures
As the Kingdom undergoes rapid transformation, these disciplines enable Saudis to envision a future that remains authentic, inclusive, and rooted in their identity. The Ministry of Culture plays a strategic role in this process, fostering creativity and cultural innovation while preserving heritage and elevating the nation’s cultural identity on the global stage.
Saudi Arabia’s extensive investments in cultural initiatives, combined with strong leadership and widespread public engagement, underscore the role of creativity in shaping the nation’s trajectory through localized images of the future. These efforts offer an opportunity for critical reflection on the future and actively involve communities in its creation, fostering dialogues around identity, heritage, and collective aspirations.
The AlUla Future Culture Summit offers a vivid example of how Saudi Arabia is leveraging its cultural heritage as a cornerstone for thinking about the future. The summit explores the intersection of culture, art, and societal progress. Organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the summit gathers global leaders, artists, and cultural practitioners. Its mission is to examine how culture can drive innovation, community empowerment, and sustainable development. The inaugural summit during the AlUla Arts Festival emphasizes cross-cultural dialogue and creative collaboration.
Experiencing the Future: Creativity as a Bridge
Stuart Candy emphasizes the importance of experientiality in futures, which allows people to engage with future possibilities in ways that resonate on an emotional and sensory level. In Saudi Arabia, experiential futures align with the Kingdom’s growing emphasis on art, culture, and design. These sectors provide a unique opportunity for creatives to explore and speculate on future scenarios, reaching audiences through tangible, localized, and multisensory experiences.
This creative engagement often extends beyond traditional futures work, connecting with people across diverse backgrounds, cultures, and interests. By making futures thinking accessible and inclusive, art, culture, and design become vehicles for fostering understanding, dialogue, and participation in shaping the future.
The transformation of Saudi Arabia is not only reflected in policy and economic reforms but amplified through artistic expression. Through strategic cultural investments, the Kingdom demonstrates that creativity and identity are as vital as strategy in shaping a future that is intentional, equitable, and deeply rooted in its people’s values and aspirations.
© Heba Alhadyian, 2024
Heba partners with international companies and organizations to identify opportunities, solve problems, and co-create new ideas using an integrated approach of innovation, user experience, and foresight. As a futurist, Heba leverages design methods to contextualize emergent issues, spark conversations, and harness participatory decision-making. Currently, she is researching the strategic foresight scene in the GCC and using design strategy to highlight indigenous narratives, advance local futures literacy, and bridge professional dialogue using culturally informed futures.
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